Center at Lilac Mall will train workers for Albany-Safran jobs: Great Bay Community College to offer classes at local plaza starting in May

Saturday

May 18, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Liz Markhlevskayalmark@fosters.com

ROCHESTER — The Advanced Technology and Academic Center of Great Bay Community College is set to open in Rochester later this month, and interested students may now begin registering for classes.

The center, located at the Lilac Mall plaza, will being offering academic courses May 20, and the advanced manufacturing courses will start June 17, said Lisa Proulx, public information officer for Great Bay Community College.

While the new center will offer traditional academic courses, such as criminal justice, business, and psychology, the facility will also feature an advanced manufacturing program, curriculum for which has been developed to fit the needs of Albany Engineered Composites (AEC) and Safran USA, two companies that will be located in a large manufacturing plant at the Granite State Business Park.

The plant, currently under construction, is scheduled to open in July, with first operations starting in August, said Susan Siegel, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications for AEC.

The new plant, a colocation of AEC and Safran USA, will produce composite materials for the LEAP aircraft engine, which reduces aircraft noise and NOx emissions, and also reduces fuel consumption because of its light weight, according to company officials.

The new manufacturing plant is expected to draw in about 400 new employees, and according to Siegel, the new training center in Rochester will help the company fill the needed advanced manufacturing positions at the plant.

Debra Mattson, advanced manufacturing program director/designer for Great Bay Community College, has been working closely with AEC and Safran officials while creating the curriculum for the new Advanced Technology and Academic Center, making sure the curriculum meets the companies’ needs.

“It’s been a lot of hard work,” she said.

At the new center, students will be able to participate in a six-month training program, at the end of which they will receive a certificate in advanced composite manufacturing.

“At the end of six months, they are ready for employment,” said Mattson.

After completing the six-month program, students can also choose to pursue an associate degree through Great Bay Community College.

As part of the manufacturing program, about 50 percent of the students’ time will be spent doing hands-on work, whether it’s weaving fibers, or working on infusions and molding of materials, she said.

The advanced manufacturing program is divided into two terms, she said. During the first term, students are introduced to a bit of everything, taking classes such as introduction to advanced manufacturing, and blueprint reading. During the second term, students will be able to choose one of eight areas in which they would like to specialize, such as resin transfer molding, paint operator, and weaving technician.

Mattson noted the students will be working in a clean environment, with white floors, and will be using state-of-the-art technology such as the coordinate measuring machine.

Speaking to Foster’s on Tuesday, Mattson said that the manufacturing field is changing, compared to what it was in the past. Now, advanced manufacturing means more use of computers, as well as more skilled, knowledgeable workers.

“It’s no longer the assembly line that people think of as manufacturing,” she said. “They need people who are highly trained, so they’re not just button pushers. They (the new employees) need to understand what is happening, they need to understand the process.”

Mattson emphasized that while AEC and Safran are the primary partners in developing the curriculum for the new training and academic center, students who finish the advanced manufacturing program will be prepared for employment for other manufacturing companies as well.

The Great Bay Community College will hold informational sessions on the advanced manufacturing program on June 7 and June 8. More information about the sessions will be released soon.

For more information about the Advanced Technology and Academic Center, or to inquire about the admissions process, contact Jeffrey Pruyne, outreach and enrollment counselor for Great Bay Community College, at 1-800-522-1194, or jpruyne@csnh.com.